Pell Mell Week

It was an amazingly quiet weekend for me, and I designed it that way intentionally. Only because I'm bracing myself for the impending hustle and bustle of the Las Vegas show, the experience of which is akin to condensing several objects into a small space via the use of a vacuum-pack device—like that miraculous FoodSaver they advertise on HSN. (Come on, admit it! You've watched it at least once, even if it was only because you couldn't sleep on a weeknight!) I say this because there's just so much to see and do, you've gotta keep your brain on a swivel.

Fortunately, Vegas is a short and frequent flight from Phoenix, which allows me the luxury of traveling at pretty much any hour. I won't arrive at Mandalay Bay (the show's new host hotel) until tomorrow night; but the city's always awake and welcoming, and I never have to worry about missing room service. Plus I'll get in almost a full work day before I have to narrow my shoe selection to a reasonable burden and deal with the household's separation anxiety. (First, the cat will puke on something, usually an expensive jacket or critical piece of paperwork. Then my husband will light into yet another homily on the art of traveling light, a skill I am either unable or unwilling to master.)

Of course, this night-owl travel schedule means I'll miss tomorrow's Developers' Seminar and ISS Golf Classic. I won't get to take pictures of the players as they swerve off the course in a post-Bloody Mary, excessive-sun stupor. But I was never one for golf anyway. Aside from the plaid, which is downright offensive, there's simply not enough aggression in that game. It's too polite and peaceful.

I'll be posting to this blog from the tradeshow, so those of you who aren't able to attend will get the day-by-day play on screen. In fact, I recently learned that we'll have a cameraman in tow taking video, which we'll put up on the website in pieces throughout the week.

If you happen to be at the show and see me wandering around with my crew, don't be shy—come up and give us your two cents about the event. We'll also be interviewing operators and investors about their sundry experiences of working in the business, so if you've got something to share, just hop in front of the camera.

Still sitting on the fence about attending the expo? I suggest you hop off on the affirmative side. It really looks to be an unprecedented industry affair. And ... If you visit me in the ISS booth, I'll hook you up with a sweet t-shirt. If that doesn't motivate you, nothing will. A souvenir shirt is excellent proof to your significant other that you really were where you said you were; and it gets you off the hook for having to buy shot glasses or snowglobes or whatever trinkets you might otherwise have to procure. What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but the shirt gets to go home with you!